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Mammoth Schools name interim superintendent

The Mammoth Unified School District on Tuesday named an interim superintendent in the wake of the now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t resignation of Rich Boccia.

Lou Stewart takes over the position on Monday, March 11, bringing with her three decades of experience in education.

According to school officials, Stewart has been an elementary school principal, high school co-principal, and Director of Special Education, and began her career as a special education teacher.

Most recently, she was with Glendale Unified in Southern California as an assistant superintendent. Since retiring, according to the school board, Stewart has worked as a consultant to firms in training and coaching school districts around the country.

School officials said Stewart and her husband have long owned property in Mammoth Lakes and now live in Mammoth permanently.

A search for a permanent superintendent began almost immediately after Boccia’s sudden—and still mysterious—departure on Friday, March 1.

The school district did not release any details as to why Boccia left, and Boccia himself declined to return repeated telephone calls.

Unnamed sources within the schools and in the Town Offices indicated Boccia’s departure had to do with “personnel conflicts” within the school, and because these were personnel issues, any information was not open to the public.

The case was eerily reminiscent of the resignation of Mammoth Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht, who also left his position in a cloud of uncertainty.

As in the schools case, the Town Council deemed the discussions leading to Wilbrecht’s resignation as “personnel related” and thus not open to the public.